Picture Of The Day

Runners clear the water jump in The Bluefin Insurance Solutions Welshpool Handicap Steeple Chase at Ludlow racecourse on October 25, 2012 in Ludlow, England. (Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Europe) 

England's Shetland Pony Gold Cup

Action from the Shetland Pony Gold Cup at Plumpton racecourse on October 22, 2012 in Plumpton, England. (All photos by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Europe)

Pictures Of The Day

Jockey Glenn Boss riding Ocean Park (L) and Mark Zahra riding Yosei during trackwork at Breakfast With The Best at Moonee Valley Racecourse on October 23, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. (Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images AsiaPac)

Runners take a fence in the straight in The Mr & Mrs Mark Tracey Handicap Steeple Chase at Plumpton racecourse on October 22, 2012 in Plumpton, England. (Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Europe)

Tommy Phelan riding Regal One (purple) win The Betfair Supports Moorcroft Maiden Hurdle Race at Plumpton racecourse on October 22, 2012 in Plumpton, England. (Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Europe)

Pictures Of The Day

The Budweiser Clydesdales at Keeneland racecourse in Lexington, KY.  (Coady Photography/Keeneland)

Grinding Speed winning the $50,000 International Gold Cup from Virginia-bred Aero on Saturday at Great Meadow.  (Douglas Lees Photo)

A Jack Russell Terrier named Mickey carries his own jockey at the International Gold Cup races. (Tracy A. Woodward/THE WASHINGTON POST)

Tom Queally riding undefeted Frankel (13 for 13) after winning The Qipco Champions Stakes at Ascot racecourse on October 20, 2012 in Ascot, England. Many consider Frankel the best European racehorse of the past several decades.  (Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images)

Grinding Speed Wins International Gold Cup

AERO (L) and GRINDING SPPED (R) (Douglas Lees Photo)

 (From NSA) Trained by Alicia Murphy, Grinding Speed moved into the ranks of timber stakes winners following a good second-place finish behind timber-standings leader Incomplete in the National Sporting Library Chronicle Cup at Virginia Fall on Oct. 6. He was ridden to victory in the International Gold Cup by Mark Beecher, who won the race last year with Incomplete.

Owner-trainer Karen Gray’s Hot Rize set the early pace, but Grinding Speed moved toward the front on the final turn and drew clear in the stretch. Alfred C. Griffin Jr.’s Virginia-bred Aero finished second, three-quarters of a length ahead of owner-trainer Jack Fisher’s Monte Bianco. Grinding Speed ran the International Gold Cup’s 3 1/2 miles in 8:01.60 on yielding turf.

And A Big Thank You To Our Sponsors!

Thanks Porsche and all the other sponsors of the International Gold Cup (list with links at right).

Let’s Review

International Gold Cup: Tomorrow

10 am – Gates open to public.

Noon – Jack Russell races in the paddock.

Noon Thirty – Ashland Bassets (not sure what they do, but we bet their cool).

(Stephen Little via Flickr)

1 pm – Opening ceremony, National Anthem.

1 pm – Tailgate Competition.

1 Thirty pm – First race.

2 Ten pm  – Second race.

2 Fifty pm  – Third race.

3 Twenty pm  – Fourth race.

4 pm – Fifth Race, the International Gold Cup presented by Porsche.

4 Forty pm – Sixth and final race.

6 Thirty pm – Gates closed. (You should be outside of them when they do this.)

See, that was easy.

Picture Of The Day

Runners take the water jump in The Bathwick Tyres Yeovil Handicap Steeple Chase at Wincanton racecourse on October 18, 2012 in Wincanton, England. (Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Europe)

Sign Of The Times

(Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Yes, it's Fall.  October to be exact.

Not only that, tomorrow is the third Saturday in October which means the International Gold Cup is TOMORROW.

Like a NASA launch, you should be making final preparations for launch!

Hey Procrastinators, Get Moving

Look, we know there is a group of you out there that hold back on buying your International Gold Cup tickets until the last minute because you are worried about the weather. 

So…stop worrying and start buying.

Saturday’s weather looks…um…what’s the word we’re looking for?  Oh yeah, PERFECT.

How about sunny and 65 degrees.

So quit the squirming and the hand wringing and click here. 

Pictures Of The Day

Runners make their way past the low setting sun at Huntingdon racecourse on October 16, 2012 in Huntingdon, England. (Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Europe)

Tony McCoy riding Another Trump (C) on their way to winning The simplythebestevents.co.uk Handicap Steeple Chase at Huntingdon racecourse on October 16, 2012 in Huntingdon, England. (Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Europe)

Harry Skelton riding Drumland (C) win The Warrens Of Warwick 34 Years Anniversary Handicap Hurdle Race at Huntingdon racecourse on October 16, 2012 in Huntingdon, England. (Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Europe)

Veteran And Newcomers Square Off In International Gold Cup

AERO JUST BEHIND GOLD CUP WINNER INCOMPLETE (Douglas Lees Photo)

(From NationalSteeplechase.com) Alfred C. Griffin Jr.’s Aero will be seeking to improve on last year’s second-place finish when he meets a well-matched field in the 75th anniversary running of the $50,000 International Gold Cup, the feature race of the International Gold Cup meet at Great Meadow Race Course in The Plains on Saturday, Oct. 20. First post time for the 29th annual International Gold Cup meet is 1:30 p.m.

Trained by Middleburg-based horseman Doug Fout, Aero will be seeking his first win of the year in the 3 1/2-mile International Gold Cup over timber fences. He most recently finished fourth in the $35,000 National Sporting Library Chronicle Cup at the Virginia Fall Races in Middleburg on Oct. 6.

In his previous start on the Great Meadow course, Aero finished fifth in the Virginia Gold Cup on May 5. Christopher Read will ride.

Challenging the veteran timber horse will be Michael T. Wharton’s Grinding Speed, a newcomer to timber racing who finished a good second in the Chronicle Cup. He also was second in the $15,000 Legacy Chase at Maryland’s Shawan Downs on Sept. 29. He had two victories and a second this spring.

Alicia Murphy trains the six-year-old Grindstone gelding, who will be ridden by Mark Beecher, winning jockey aboard Incomplete in last year’s International Gold Cup.

Owner-trainer Karen Gray entered Hot Rize, who finished sixth in the Chronicle Cup. Gus Dahl will ride.

Blythe Miller Davies will saddle Gerry L. Brewster’s Brands Hatch, who won the Western Run Plate timber allowance at Maryland’s Grand National on April 21 before finishing second in the Willowdale Steeplechase at Kennett Square, Pa., on May 13. Jackson Roberts has the mount.

Seeking her first victory of the year will be Wally Pinkard’s Won Wild Bird, who finished fifth in the $25,000 Genesee Valley Hunt Cup on Oct. 13. Trained by Regina Welsh, Won Wild Bird finished fifth in the Radnor Hunt Cup, a race the ten-year-old Wild Wonder mare won in 2011. Roddy Mackenzie will ride.

Owner-trainer Jack Fisher’s Monte Bianco, returning to the races after a nearly four-year absence, ran ninth in the Radnor Hunt Cup and improved to fourth in Shawan’s Legacy Chase. Willie McCarthy has the mount.

Pictures Of The Day

Jockey Damien Oliver riding Commanding Jewel wins the Schweppes Thousand Guineas at Caulfield Racecourse on October 17, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. (Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images AsiaPac)

Jockey Craig Newitt (R) riding Isabella Snowflake wins race 1 the Superior Food Services Handicap during Caulfield Thousand Guineas Day at Caulfield Racecourse on October 17, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. (Scott Barbour/Getty Images AsiaPac)

 Runners create kickback as they race on the new polytrack surface at Lingfield racecourse on October 17, 2012 in Lingfield, England. (Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Europe)

Picture Of The Day

Play...just because.  It will be Saturday soon and you too will want to play...(Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images Europe)

Pictures Of The Day

Nicholas Hall riding Instinction crosses the line to win the BMW Weekend Hussler Stakes during Guineas Day at Caulfield Racecourse on October 13, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images AsiaPac)

Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) celebrates with fans after a 76-yard touchdown run during the second half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Good Luck, Nationals!

(Rob Carr/Getty Images)

As previously stated, according to MLB.com, the National League Championship Series will go dark on Saturday, October 20th, the day of the International Gold Cup races.  

So, if/when our Washington Nationals advance to said NLCS by beating the Cards tonight, they will be playing on Friday before the Gold Cup and Sunday after the Gold Cup (if necessary).

You know what that is?

Perfect. That’s what that is.

In fact, "Natitude" could be a winning theme for a tailgate!

So get your tickets and start getting organized for the International Gold Cup.

Go Nats!

Question(s) Of The Day

(Antoine Antoniol/Getty Images Europe)

Q: Will Bono sing the National Anthem before the International Gold Cup?

A: No. You may hear his voice, but it’s only in your head. 

Q: Is that Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates on the right?

A: Yes.

Q: Who is the guy standing between Bono and Bill Gates.

A: Who cares?

Actually, that is French President Francois Hollande with the fellas a few days ago in Paris. 

Pictures Of The Day

 It is what it is, and, right now, it seems like there are so many...(Gold Cup Photo/Facebook)

Charlie Wallis riding Arctic Echo (R) clear the last to win The Ladbrokes Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Steeple Chase at Worcester racecourse on October 11, 2012 in Worcester, England. (Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Europe)

Tom Cannon riding Sovereign Spirit (R) on their way to winning The Ladbrokes Selling Handicap Hurdle Race at Worcester racecourse on October 11, 2012 in Worcester, England. (Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Europe)

Question Of The Day

KISS YESTERDAY IN NEW YORK CITY (PacificCoastNews.com)

Q: Will KISS sing the National Anthem at the International Gold Cup races?

A: No

Next question.

Locals Get Discounted Tickets – Woo Hoo!

Hey, if you live in Fauquier County, the home of many famous historical places AND the Virginia and International Gold Cups, you can purchase discounted general admission passes for the 75th annual International Gold Cup steeplechase races Saturday, Oct. 20, at Great Meadow, near The Plains.

Those who live in Fauquier may purchase up to two tickets for $45 each — a $10 discount. Each ticket will admit one vehicle with up to six people.

The discounted tickets required a valid ID and may be purchased at the Virginia Gold Cup office at 90 Main St. in Warrenton.

The first of six races will start at 1:30 p.m. The gates will open at 10 a.m.

Twelve Nominated To International Gold Cup

Twelve well-matched timber horses have been nominated to the 75th anniversary running of the $50,000 International Gold Cup, the feature.

AERO (left) (Douglas Lees Photo)

Middleburg-based trainer Doug Fout nominated Warrenton resident Alfred C. Griffin Jr.’s Aero, seeking to improve on a second-place finish in the 2011 International Gold Cup, a 3-1/2-mile race over timber fences.

Aero on Oct. 6 finished fourth in the $35,000 National Sporting Library Chronicle Cup at the Virginia Fall Races. In his previous start on the Great Meadow course, Aero finished fifth in the Virginia Gold Cup on May 5.

Coming off a second-place finish in the Chronicle Cup will be Michael T. Wharton’s Grinding Speed. He also finished second in the $15,000 Legacy Chase at Maryland’s Shawan Downs on Sept. 29. Alicia Murphy trains the 6-year-old Grindstone gelding.

The Chronicle Cup’s third-place finisher, Joseph W. Henderson’s Triple Dip, also was nominated. Trained in Virginia by Jimmy Day, Triple Dip pulled a major upset when he won the 2011 Mason Houghland Memorial in his first career start over timber fences. Owner-trainer Karen Gray nominated Hot Rize, who finished sixth in the Chronicle Cup.

2012 Virginia Gold Cup Winner Takes Chronicle Cup

(From NSA) Robert A. Kinsley’s Incomplete made his usual late charge and pulled away to a 1 3/4-length victory in the $35,000 National Sporting Library Chronicle Cup, the featured race of the 57th annual Virginia Fall Races in Middleburg on Saturday, Oct. 6.

INCOMPLETE (r) (Betsy Burke Parker Photo/www.HuntersRest.net)

Michael T. Wharton’s Grinding Speed, coming back on one week’s rest after finishing second in Shawan Downs’ Legacy Chase timber allowance, again finished second. Michael A. Smith’s Triple Dip, who set the pace for most of the Chronicle Cup, finished third.

Ridden by champion jockey Paddy Young, Incomplete ran the Chronicle Cup’s 3 1/4 miles over timber fences in 6:42.40 on firm turf. The Chronicle Cup was his third victory of the year in three starts and raised his division-leading total earnings to $84,000. 

Trained in Maryland by Ann Stewart, Incomplete previously had won the My Lady’s Manor and the Virginia Gold Cup back in May.

Tailgating Tip Of The Day

Don’t forget the tablecloth. Make sure it’s unique and well-suited for the occasion.

(Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Europe)

Here, Karl Lagerfeld walks the runway with the his newest line of Chanel tablecloths during the Chanel Spring/Summer 2013 show as part of Paris Fashion Week at Grand Palais last week in Paris, France.

What???

Those aren’t tablecloths…?

Really?

Pictures of The Day

Early morning exercise on racecourse side gallops at Newmarket racecourse on October 10, 2012 in Newmarket, England. (Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Europe)

Another view of the gallops at Newmarket racecourse on October 10, 2012 in Newmarket, England. (Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Europe)

Horses are prepared for sale and inspected by potential buyers at Tattersalls yearling sales on October 10, 2012 in Newmarket, England. (Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Europe)

The auction ring at Tattersalls yearling sales on October 10, 2012 in Newmarket, England. (Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Europe)

Daybreak Stables' Wolverton (Paddy Young) won the Virginia owned and trained maiden hurdle race at the Middleburg Fall races on Oct 6th. (Susan M. Carter photo)

S. Bruce Smart's Orchestra Leader (Danielle Hodsdon) won the maiden three-year-old hurdle race at the Middleburg Fall races on Oct 6th. (Susan M. Carter photo)

Karen Gray's Cuse (Gus Dahl - right) won the optional allowance/claiming race at the Middleburg Fall races on Oct 6th.Teddy Mulligan's Final Straw (Willie McCarthy) finished third. (Douglas Lees photo)

Morning Star Stables' Thermostat (McLane Hendriks - right) won the amateur rider timber race at the Middleburg Fall races on Oct 7th.. Northwoods Stable's Eye Said Scat Cat (Connor Hankin - leading) finished second. (Douglas Lees photo)

International Gold Cup Will Not Host A Presidential Debate

While the International Gold Cup remains a major fixture on the Fall social and sporting calendars, the management of the second biggest steeplechase race in the Old Dominion wondered if there might be away to make our version of the Fall Classic even bigger and better.

Some genius in the marketing department thought it would be a good idea to host a Presidential Debate prior to or just after the October 20 steeplechase.  Being a marketing savvy operation, we decided to put together a focus group to determine if the Gold Cup wanted to be part of the 2012 election process.

The focus group met for every bit of 90 seconds before asking the following question:  "Why in the world would you want to do that?"

Of course, we wouldn’t.

The Gold Cup is a great way to spend a beautiful afternoon in the country and to take an afternoon off from the real world.  No politics allowed.

Get your friends, get your tickets, get your tailgate and get ready to have a great time.

Pictures Of The Day

Teddy Alexander's Kisser N Run (left - Paddy Young) held off Mede Cahaba Stable LLC's Class Launch (Richard Boucher) in the filly and mare maiden race.  (Susan M. Carter photo)

Racegoers sport some fancy hats at the Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe race meet at Longchamp near Paris on Sunday. (Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Europe)

Olivier Peslier riding Solemia (R) catch Orfevre and Christophe Soumillon (L) to win the Qatar Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp  October 07, 2012. (Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Europe)